Hello fellow runners! How are you all doing? Weather has been a topic close to my heart lately. Here in Canada it is a constant topic of conversation this time of year. We’ve had some big snow days, plus some extreme cold days, followed by quick thaws, making for some very slippery, icy surfaces. So it’s a challenging time to run outdoors. I've fashioned another pair of DIY cleats using screws and my old Speedgoats and I’m still trying to get out for my long runs, but I admit to using Mrs. Decker’s treadmill some weekdays for shorter outings. In the UK, it seems there’s also been a number of you facing the recent wind storms - Dudley, Eunice and now storm Franklin! With the accompanying rough weather taking down trees and causing damage and flooding, it's making some routes difficult and possibly unsafe. How have you all managed with it? How does the weather affect your running generally? Do you have to plan around it? Do you grit your teeth and just push through? Or perhaps you love it? It can also be a real safety issue too, so I hope no one is taking risks out there. Stay safe everyone! And please let us know how your training is going too.
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So far my little piece of the Massif Central has got off lightly with the storms. Two départements adjacent to where we live have yellow weather warnings for high winds, and it looks like it'll snow around 1000m+ tonight, but probably not here at 680m.
I'm still working my way back from injury and managed 13k this morning. The first 3k were mostly into a chilly north-easterly with a bit of rain. That stopped, then around 8k it got properly wet, with some sleet and hail for added fun as I was making my way up the biggest hill on my route. Shortcuts don't really exist round here so with at least 4k to do, embracing the sogginess was the only solution. Ended up faster than than I'd intended or thought possible. Deluded Mr Garmin thinks I'm 20 again, and hasn't even reduced my VO2Max, so I'll take it! 🤣
Generally I don't mind running in wind, rain or snow. What I won't do is run in conditions that I consider risky: no forest trails when it's windy, no running in thunderstorms, and no running on ice - if the dog's four-paw drive can't deal with it then it's not for me.
Wow that sounds properly challenging Cmoi! Perhaps Mr Garmin has found you to be fitter than you thought! Yes sometimes you just have to embrace it don't you? Clearly it worked for you. You are wise regarding the risky conditions too. A few weeks back some friends and I tried running on some frozen lakes and 2 of the 3 were fine but the third land largest one got a little too soft for comfort towards the middle so we quickly headed back out to shore again. There were people ice fishing too so we thought it safe. The first two lakes were frozen solid. Lesson learned - no more lake runs! At least not the bigger lakes.
Thanks Decker , though I suspect it was no worse than what many of the GB-based runners have been battling these past few days.
Re Garmin, basically I'm now back to where I habitually was prior to injury - but it was so infuriating that the algorithm's initial response to my first few runs was to bump up my fitness age and reduce my V02Max.
Weather has been a problem here the last few weeks. We've had three named storms in the last week, with more hanging just off mid-Atlantic. We might have a brief respite at the weekend.
My own running has had to be fitted in between the squalls, and I've gone from running every day last month, to not running at all for four days.
Hi Decker! Thanks for hosting this week, and well done for all your ingenious running tactics 😍
Dudley, Eunice, and Franklin - what a bunch of reprobates 😊😊😊
Things got pretty exciting on Friday with Eunice here on the south coast! We went for a very short walk and I freely admit to being a bit scared 😂
I've been managing my runs in a way that gives me a boost from the (considerable) tailwind when I need it, but it's good to battle the weather in training since one never knows what'll happen on race day. And my training is finally getting somewhere now my Achilles tendinopathy is in remission 😅
I'm so happy your Achilles is finally behaving! Yes see bad weather the same way - as training for possible conditions you'll have to face one day. I love running in most intense weather with the exception of ice storms and extreme cold. But snow, rain or sleet, I'm good with it - with the right layers of course
Your pic looks like one of the many amazing photos people were sharing online. There's a Facebook photography group called 'Brighton Skies' which is always great but has been particularly wonderful this past week! Yours was was taken in Newhaven, which is a ferry port town about 18 km East of where I live, but although it's not Brighton there were loads of pics of it in Brighton Skies 😊😊😊
Gladys is the next name on the list, then Herman. I can see both of them being used in the next week.
What happened to your Achilles? I seem to have missed out on hearing the details. (I've had a little, easily irritated lump behind my ankle since I rubbed the area by wearing different shoes with a higher back on a long run back in November.)
I get Achilles tendinopathy every now and again, maybe it's a weak area (I understand that menopause is a factor), could be I need to look at my running form, hip strength etc. (very possibly!). I think I'm mostly a forefoot runner these days, which tends to be harder on the calves and posterior tendons. This latest episode started at the beginning of the year, and it was too painful to run at first, so I took a week off then have been easing back into running while subbing in indoor bike rides and swims - also doing a lot of strength work and the usual Achilles rehab stuff.
Sorry to hear about your problem - I have seen you mention it elsewhere. I used to have a lot of problems with shoes irritating the area, long before I took up running actually! This also could be a cause of my problems now I suppose. Hope yours will be ok, nb lumps can be pretty persistent.
I wonder if my knee is a sore tendon. It eases if I’m up on my toes. I am looking at a fresh pair of Altra’s to add to my rotation, if I can find a bargain. I’ve been dog walking in my worn out ones 🙂.
Hi Decker, no cold temperatures here (at least not in SW England), but my goodness we got ‘got’ by Storm Eunice on Friday, and less so by Storm Franklin this morning. We had no power for 25 hours during Eunice, and I’m willing to admit I’ve hunkered down at the gym recently. 10k last Wednesday, 7.5k yesterday, all warm and protected from the elements!
HM training hasn’t restarted yet after my event was shifted to the end of May. so I’m freestyling at the moment.
Oh 25 hours is a long time Cheeky! Glad you are still getting your runs in safely. Freestyling is a great place to be as well! I'm sort of freestyling now too with no run booked till September
Oh no Munks! Hope you managed ok. We just got back from Venice with some friends and the next day they lost their power for three days! We did tell them they should have stayed in Venice 🙂
Weather is wearing me down at the moment. We’ve got the opposite problem here in Western Australia with heat wave after heatwave ☀️🔥🥵
I’m on week 4 of my marathon plan which thankfully has no long runs until week 7. Hopefully, it will be cooler in a few weeks, as today, it took me over an hour, to run 5miles, and I still could only manage to keep the first half of the run in zone 2.
My mantra this year was just to run, and not overthink it, but I’m seriously considering changing that to “everyday I’m shuffling” 😝
I feel for you RW. I have a hard time running in extreme heat too. I never seem to take enough hydration. I hope it cools off for you soon. At least you’ve got some beautiful scenery around you in the meantime!
It’s been fun planning around the wind. I’ve been working away quite a bit recently and whilst bored I’ve found out I can plan routes on Garmin and export them to the watch (forerunner 245). Great feature when away from home - I’m probably the only person who didn’t know about that feature hahaManaged the final run of the Garmin HM training plan on Saturday which I’ve been working though over autumn/winter. Got caught in heavy (for England) snow. Put a picture up the other day, so not reposting that. Found running in snow with worn smooth shoes ‘interesting’ and hard work.
Now signed up to a 5k plan to try and improve my pace a bit, again ‘just for the sake of it’.
Ha I think you're ahead of me on exporting routes to your watch. Suunto says it can be done, but I've yet to work out how. Great photo of your snowfall and yeah running in smooth road shoes in the snow should count for extra points! I just got home and we've had yet another thaw after cold days and the puddles were skating rinks. All the slush frozen solid. Spring can't come too soon!
Best of luck with the 5k training. Fingers crossed for an early spring.
Hi Decker and everyone 👋 I hope you’re managing to get out and avoid the ice.
I always said that I’m a winter runner. I prefer the cold and love the wintry landscapes but recently with the high winds and lashing rain I found myself the other day wishing for a return to my really early morning runs in summer before the heat set in. I was almost fantasising about it which is weird for me! I thought about the beautiful light at that time of day and I am really looking forward to doing it again.
I didn’t run in Storm Eunice because we have lots of tress around here and I didn't think it was safe but I’ve been out since. If I waited until perfect running weather I’d never get out 🙄 and anyway you never know what you’re going to get on race day (as per my race last weekend) so you really have to run in all weather.
But my garden tells me that spring is just around the corner and with that comes joy 🤗
I know just what you mean IP. I'm done with the cold. Done with not feeling my fingers on a run, Done with so many near misses on the ice. The Spring early morns with the grass a bit frosty and nothing else. The warm sunlight cresting over the treetops casting long morning shadows. I dream of those days this time of year.
No running for me as still injured but I’ve been turning out in this horrible weather as I’m dog sitting. The winds, and snow, the other night were horrendous - but strangely not that cold. Hard to stand the blizzard on the eyes and face though. It feels like you’re being pebbledashed 😁
He’s gone home and I’m free today so off out to test my knee. It’s horribly windy, but the rain has cleared up. I don’t normally care, but as I’ll be running so slowly, it’s more of an issue 🥶🙄
The weather in Canada is a whole different level so hats off to you Decker 😀💪👍.
Dudley and Eunice days weren’t so bad up here, but I have been laid up anyway. That said, I went for an experimental 1k on Saturday and a 2k yesterday and my dicky foot didn’t swell at all, so here’s hoping a corner has been turned. I remembered something from C25k about moving your legs in a circular motion/ picking up your heels. It seemed really comfortable. 🤞🤞🤞🤞
Snow and ice are a bit different but the mass hysteria created by the UK media over our recent, very normal, winter storms was a tad OTT.
I ran as normal, worked as normal (with folk sending me unhelpful messages showing 100mph winds over Kent where I was headed 🙄) I was even in the sea Sun, Mon and Tues, as well as yesterday. Didn't get an opportunity Fri/Sat but I would have if the timing had been right.
Every year we have high winds, we have trees down, power cuts etc.
I ran my first 26 miler in a yellow weather warning for high winds... 🤷♀️ even had to move a tree put of the road to reach the carpark 🤣
Yeah the media make it harder to determine the level of severity sometimes don’t they? I suppose the weather events are localized and intense at the time. I’ve been out after windstorms here too and had to climb over fallen trees. I love getting out in fresh snow too. But not ice. We’ve had yet another freeze-thaw-freeze cycle and the paths are treacherous in many spots. Indoor run for me today
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